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BUILD-IN WOOD FIREPLACE COMPARISON PAGE

Sorted By: HEATING CAPACITY IN SQUARE FEET

To compute the maximum area each woodstove will heat, manufacturers use a model of a very well insulated house with 8' ceilings, thermopane windows and an open floor plan in a climate similar to Seattle's, where January low temperatures average 41º F. Any deviations from this model (ie: colder climate, poor insulation, high ceilings, old windows, etc.) must be taken into consideration when choosing your stove.

To sort the table, click the column header (ie; Viewing Window, Framing Dimensions, etc.)

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Model	Viewing Window	Framing Dimensions	Shipping Weight	Firebox Size	Hardwood Capacity	Max. Log Length	Heating Efficiency	EPA Emissions	Maximum Output	Average Output	Heating Capacity
Pacific Energy FP30	10"t 18-1/2"w 185 sq.in.	63-1/2" T 56" W 24" D	625 lbs	3 cubic ft	60 lbs	20"	76.8%	2.47 grams/hr	99,000 btu	48,392 btu/hr	2000 - 3000 sq ft
Hearthstone Montgomery WFP-75	10"t 24"w 240 sq.in.	47-1/16" T 37-13/16" W 27-1/4" D	620 lbs	2.5 cubic ft	50 lbs	20"	77%	4.4 grams/hr	75,000 btu	38,670 btu/hr	1200 - 2000 sq ft
Pacific Energy FP25	9-1.2"t 17-1/4"w 164 sq.in.	62" T 56" W 24" D	595 lbs	2.5 cubic ft	50 lbs	18"	72.6%	3.47 grams/hr	85,000 btu	36,460 btu/hr	1200 - 1800 sq ft
Pacific Energy FP16	9-3/4"t 15-3/8"w 150 sq.in.	55-1/2" T 42" W 24" D	360 lbs	1.6 cubic ft	32 lbs	16"	70.2	3.09 grams/hr	70,000 btu	22,562 btu/hr	800 - 1200 sq ft

To visit any fireplace's page, click its photo in the table above.

Note: Woodstove maximum heating capacity ratings don't tell the whole story.

Wood stove manufacturers need to publish heating capacity numbers so potential buyers can compare their various models to each other and the competition. They know that their potential customers are going to want to heat their homes in the coldest weather, which in North America occurs in January. When they consult the National Average Weather Chart to see how cold that is, here’s what they find out:

The average January temperature in Seattle, WA is 41° F

The average January temperature in Fargo, ND is 7° F

Obviously, their stove models aren’t going to heat the same size homes in both locations. So, how do manufacturers describe the heating capacity of their stoves to potential buyers?

Unless they want to publish a 50-page brochure, there's only one possible way. Reference the maximum size well-insulated, single-story house with 8-foot ceilings a given stove will heat in Seattle, and qualify that number with the phrase UP TO, trusting the shopper to interpret the adjustments necessary for their climate zone and for the particular house to be heated. This interpretation is vital when shopping for a stove.

Other factors that should be considered when choosing a wood stove:

Woodstove heat output can be controlled by regulating the air intake, but only within a limited range (that's why there's a minimum square footage limit as well as a maximum limit for each stove in the Heating Capacity column above). Unless you have a wide-open floor plan, consider how uncomfortably hot it might be to share your 400 sq. ft. living room with a woodstove rated to heat the entire 3,000 sq. ft. house.

If you have a two-story house, consider locating the woodstove in the lower story, as the rising heated air will help heat the upper floor. If the stove is going upstairs, you can pretty much subtract the square footage of the downstairs from your heating area before choosing the size of your woodstove: it is awfully hard to direct the heat from a woodstove downward.

If your house is divided up into many small rooms separated by long hallways and you have a forced-air heating system, you might try running the furnace blower (with the furnace burners turned off) to help circulate the heat from your woodstove throughout the house. A ceiling fan in the room with the stove can also be extremely helpful. If you don't have a way to circulate the heat, consider adding a remote heat delivery option to your build-in woodstove: all of our build-ins have optional kits that deliver heated air to other rooms. Tip: these remote delivery systems are also handy when you want to bring a cold house up to temperature in a hurry.

Woodstove performance will be affected by the species of wood that is burned. For purposes of this chart, we took an average of the top 28 species from our firewood comparison chart.

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